Suspended railway-vehicle



R. WARD.

SUSPENDED RAILWAY VEHICLE. APPLICATION mm JAN. 21, 1920.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921..

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

R. WARD.

SUSPENDED RAILWAY VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED Mfg-273.1920.

1,371,71 3; Patented Mar.15,.1921.

2 SHEETS -SHEET 2.

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UNITED STAT-ES RADCLIFFE WARD, OF NEW YORK, N.- Y.

SUSPENDED RAILWAY-VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

Application filed January 27, 1920. Serial No. 354,327.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAnoLirrn VVARD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suspended Railway-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates in general 'to an improvement in railway systems of the type in which the movable elements hereinafter identified as cars are raised electromagnetically from their supporting rails in an effort to minimize frictional resistance to the high speeds desired in certain traction systems. s

' It has been suggested to provide one or a pair of continuous metal track rails constituting armatures upon opposite sides of the right of way and to cause the upwardly facing poles of electromagnets carried by the car to engage the underside of such armature rails in sliding contact therewith for the purpose of holding the car suspended off the track rails. V

Such constructions possessnumerous objectionable features and are practically inoperative under severe service conditions among other reasons due to the fact that the frictional contact between the electromagnets and armatures introduces a factor of frictional resistance even more objectionable than the rolling engagement of the car wheels on the usual track.

Further attempts to float the car electromagnetic-ally under such systems is impractical due to the inadaptability of such structures to accommodate themselves to -varia tions in transient loads and to other variable 7 path of travel substantially free of physical contact with any fixedv part of the railwa svstem.

I i attain this object broadly by utilizing the pair of continuous armature rails previously suggested and suspend the car therebetween by positioning the electromagnts on the car with their poles disposed between the armature rails and free to move upwardly with the car into a suspended position, between the armature rails under the force of the electromagnetic fields created at opposite sides of the car. In other words the car is suspended so as to be free to move downwardly under the effect of the varying transient weights carried by the car .as it proceeds from point to point along the right of way and is free to respond to the lifting effect of the electromagnetic fields which eii'ect is controlled automatically by the live load carried by the car.

\Vhile the invention features an arrangement for maintaining the floating car physically free of any contact with the armature rails in practicethe embodiment of the invention illustrated is supplemented by a physically contacting guiding means which becomes operative only when the air gaps between the electromagnet poles and their coacting armature is about to be closed due to the disturbances. of the magnetic equilibrium or to other factors It has also been suggested to provide in an electrically propelled traction system, an organization in which electric current passing through a field creates a lifting effect on the car and a distortion of the field in such a manner as to produce a traveling motion of the car. Itis apparent, however, that-in this system increase in ourrentstrength to effect increase in speed correspondingly increases the current consumption diverted to the liftingefi'ect so that with increase in speed there is an unnecessary expenditure of energy directed to the lifting effect.

Accordingly another object of the invention is to provide in such a system an electro magnetically actuated means for vfloating the car economically and with a definitely regulated effective force just sufiicient to insure at all times a slight elevation of the car with 7 its varying transient loads and which force can be definitely fixed for any set weight-and in which the power consumed to maintain the car in floating position will be independent of other power consuming factors such as the power utilized when the car ispropelled. Another characterizing feature of the invention therefore is to provide an organization of power elements in which the power constitutes the car lifting factor and the elements which constitute the car proone form of mechanism embodying my in- Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of vention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings 1-:- a

Figure l is a planview of a section of a railway system, illustrating in connection with one of the cars a preferred embodiment of the invention and with the several parts shown diagrammatically and in outline; and y p Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the showing in Fig. 1 and taken on the line 2- 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

The invention is illustrated in connection with a subway system simply for convenience of illustration and to show the adaptability of the invention to systems where high speeds are featured. In the drawings, there is shown one of a series of overhanging supporting girders 1O suspended fromwvhich are a pair of hangersll positioned on opposite sides of the right of way and withthe hangers on. each side supporting an armature rail 12. This rail is preferably formed of some material suitable for use as a circuit'completing armatureand is preferably made of soft iron, extends con-v tinuously along the right of way and does not have to be made smooth or subject to any refined machining.

A car 13 indicated diagrammatically in dotted outline is designed to move along its path of travel defined by the armature rails. It may be said with reference to the parts of the car, the power elements carried thereby and to the relatively fixed rail construe tion that parts hereinafter described are symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of a-medial longitudinal plane indicated by the line (1-1) and that parts described on one side of this plane have their corresponding parts positioned on the opposite side so that the two parts have a looking-glass symmetry relative to this central medial plane.

Accordingly the parts on only one side of the medial plane will be described. Each armature has an inwardly facing, vertically extending fiat active face or side 14 designed to coa'ct with the exposed poles 15 of electromagnets 16 carried by the car 13 to create electromagnetic fields of force between the adjacent armature rail and the car to elevate the car from its normal posi tion when at rest. l

The top surfaces 17 of the armature'rails are conveniently utilized to support the car when the clectromagnetslG are inactive and for the purpose of providing for an easy moving of the car when the electromagnets are inactive the car is provided with a sulficient number of rest wheels 18 which overlap the armature rails and are designed to run on the same when the car is lowered from the position shown in Fig. 2.

One of the distinctive features of the present disclosure is the positioning of the poles 15 of the electromagnet in spaced relation horizontally from the face 14 of the armature in all positions-of the car. .lVhen the car is in its lowered position with the rest wheels engaging the armature rails the exposed poles of the electromagnets are each positioned below its corresponding armature rail but is free to rise with the car from its lowermost position, through the inter mediate position shown in Fig. 2 and into a fully raised position in which the'poles of the electromagnets are positioned horizontally opposite their armature rails;

. The electromagnets illustrated are shown to be of the horse shoe type selectedfor illustration due to the high efficiency of such types of electromagnets and are horizontally disposed but it is to be understood that .the showing is merely illustrative and is intended to represent symbolically any means for creating a magnetic field of force between. the car and the coacting rail armature as the caris propelled along the right of way. 3 i

The parts are so proportioned that the normal operation of the device, verticall extending air gaps 19 will be maintained between electromagnets and the coacting portions of the armature rail even when the electromagnets are exerting their maximumpull on the armature rails with the least possible air gap resistance.

Another feature of the invention there fore is to provide as far as possible for a floating car structure which will be ideal in its tendency to be free from physical con tact with any stationary part along the right of way.

It will. however, be appreciated that in the actual operation the car might tend to swing laterally from side to side and for the purpose of maintaining the poles in spaced relation to their armature the car is provided with stop wheels 20 preferably supported for rotary movement about a vertical axis. Y

The car is propelled by any suitable power plant either carried by the car itself or by means external to its outline, but one of the features of'the present disclosure is to arrange energy connections which will be distinct from the car floating system disclosed so that one can be caused-to function independently of the other.

For the purpose of illustrating a system of propulsion which will be independent of the car lifting mechanism there is shown a centrally disposed grip rail 21 positioned between and extending parallel to the an mature rails and likewise hung from the girders 10 by hangers 22. Suitable driving motors 23 are mounted on opposite sides of the grip rail and are operatively connected with opposite friction faces 23 thereof by means of grip wheels 24 which are mounted to revolve about vertical axes 25. Tensioning means 26 are provided between the motors for regulating the traction effect between the peripheries of the wheels 24 and the fixed grip rail. It will be noted that this arrangement of propelling the car permits the vertical movements thereof without affecting the continuity of driving connection between the propelling motors and the fixed rail elements.

The right to claim this propelling mechanism in greater detail than is disclosed herein both by itself and in combination with the car floating device herein featured is retainedand another application to cover the propelling feature is to be filed in due course.

While the structure thus for described, is suitable for use on what is known as short cars especially where but one of the devices is utilized and positioned at the center of the car, it is appreciated that in the case of long cars there is a necessity for two or more such suspensions. In this case some flexibility is necessary between the electromagnets, its stop wheels and the car proper in order to permit thecar to round curves freely. For this purpose the electromagnets 16, and stop wheels and rest wheels 2-0, are mounted upon a truck 27. The truck 2'? is pivotally mounted to the car proper 33 by means of a king pin construction 28 so as to permit relative rotary movement about the vertical axis of the king pin construction. This arrangement permits the car to move relative to the armature rails as the car swings around curves in the right of way.

In operation and assuming that the elec tromagnets are of'a power suflicient to ele-' vate the car with its maximum transient load, the energizing of the electromagnet's through the manipulation of suitable control switches will create upwardly and outwardly directed fields of force on opposite sides of the car with the effect of neutralizing the weight and elevating the car until the supporting rest wheels are clear of their supports as shown in Fig.2. The caris thus suspended electromagnetically and this condition will persist as long as the electromagnets are sufficiently energized.

By means of a device of this character it is pos ible to eliminate the wearing efiect of the carrying wheels on the track together with the elimination of the cost of installing and maintaining the wheels, axle boxes, springs and the like. thus permitting the utilization of lighter electric motors than is usual. There is an incidental advance in'the elimination of vibratory effects and noisewhich are particularly objectionable in subway railroad constructions. A current strength is utilized through the lifting electromagnets merely suflicient to maintain the car elevated under the usual transient loads vertical displacing of the coacting faces of the armature rails; and electromagnet poles, there will be a reduction of the cross-sectional area of the field of force thus effecting a concentration of the lines of force with a corresponding increase in lifting effect so that the electromagnetic field of force always tends to lift the car irrespective of its load. The offsetting of the-car horizontally with reference to the armature rails permits the free vertical movement of the suspended car but so long as there is a sulficient strength of magnetic field present, the car will always be held suspended between but free of physical contact with the armature rails.

While the car is thus free to move vertically even with the poles moving above their armatures it will be balanced horizontally by the opposing effect of the electromagnets on opposite sides of-the car and in this'way the car will-be held balanced between the oppositely disposed armature rails.

The

fields of force at opposite sides of the car can each be considered as the resultant of two component forces, one verticalcomponent on each coordinating'with the corresponding component on the other side to ef fect an elevation of the car and'a horizont'al component on each side acting in opposite directions to tend to balance the car electro- 7 magnetically between the armature rails. Having thus described my invention, I claim: I p

1. In a railway system, the combination of an organization of elements constituting a magnetic circuit, said elements including a rail forming an armature with avertically disposed active face and a floating car provided w1th electromagnetically actuated between.

means movable vertically relative to the active face of the rail and coacting with the same to provide a substantially horizontally directed magnetic force having a vertical component for supporting the weight of the car and for automatically compensating for variations in the weight of the car, said means being in physically spaced relation horizontally considered from said armature.

2. In a traction system, the combination with a relativelylixed continuous rail constituting an armature, a vehicle provided with electri'ally energized means coacting with the armature for creating an electromagnetic field of force between the vehicle and the rail, said means being normally disposed below the rail level whereby the field of force will act on the vehicle and tend to float the same, and thus tend to cause the field of force to act horizontally, said ve hicle being free to move vertically in response to said force to and beyond the place 7 Where the lines of force have their least horizontally considered air-gap resistance.

3. In a traction system, the combination with a relatively fixed rail constituting an armature and provided along one side thereof with an exposed vertical active face, of a car provided with means coac'ting with the armature for creating an electromagnetic field of force between said means and the armature, said means having an. ex iosed vertical face coacting electromagnetically with the active face of the armature normally positioned to the outsideof and offset below the activeface of the armature whereby when said means are actively disposed the resulting field of force will be upwardly inclined and revoluble into a vertical component which will tend to neutralize the weight of the car and to bring the vertical faces into opposed relation horizontally of each other and also revoluble into a horizontal component which will react between the opposed faces.

4:. In a traction system, the combination with a relativelyvfixed rail constituting an armature and provided along one'side thereof with an exposed vertical active face, of a car provided with means coacting with the vertical acute face of the armature for ore ating an electromagnetic field of force between said means and the armature, said meanshavingan exposed face coacting electromagnetically with the active face of the armature normally positioned to the outside of and offset below the active faceof the armature whereby when said means are actively disposed the resulting field of force will tend to move toward a horizontal position and thus bring the faces into opposed relation horizontally of each other, and meansfor maintaining said faces in slightly spaced relation with i a vertical air-gap there-1' of with an exposed vertical active face, of a car provided withymeans coacting with the armature for creatlng an electromagnetic field of force between said means and the armature, said means having an exposed vertically extending face coactmg electromagnetically with the actlve face of the armature norn'ially positioned to the outside of,

and offset below the a(tive face of the armature whereby when said means are actively disposed the resulting field of force will tend to bring the faces into. opposite relation horizontally of each other, said means including an electromagnetically actuated device for maintaining said faces in horizontally slightly spaced apart position while in said opposed relation. 7

(i. In an electric railway system, the combination with a car and means for propelling the same, of means for creating an electromagnetic field of force acting in, a direction to neutralize the weight of the car, said means including a relatively fixed element defining the railway and a coactingelement carried by the car, the car-carrying element being offset horizontally from the fixed elenientand in spaced relation thereto whereby the car is free to move vertically in response to the floating effect of the field of force thereon and to the vertically shifting effect of varying transit weights on the car from a position with the car carrying element be low said. fixed element to a position with the car carrying element positioned at a level at least as high as the fixed element.

7. In an electric railway system, the combination with a car and means for propelling the same, of means for creating a magnetic field of force operatively associated with the car to suspend the same electromagnetically and to dampen tendencies of the car to swing laterally, said car when so suspended floating substantially free of physical contact with any supporting element of the system.

8. In anelectric railway system, the combinationlwith a car and means for propelling the same, of means for-creating an electro' I magnetic field of force actin in a direction tending to neutralize the weight of thecar, saidmeans including a relatively fixedelement defining the railway and a; coacting element carried bythe car, the car-carrying element being offset horizontally from the fixed element and in spaced relation thereto whereby the caris free to move vertically and manifesting its opera-tiveness to maintain the car-in its prescribed path of travel when the car tends to move laterally in a horizontal direction from said path.

In a traction system, the combination with a pair of continuous armature rails along opposite sides of the right of way and with their active faces vertically disthe right of way, said electromagnet being normally positioned below its armature and movable vertically into a position facing the same and means for propelling the electromagnet along the armature.

10. In an electric railway, the combination of a pair of fixed armature rails extending continuously along opposite sides of the right of way and provided with vertically disposed active faces, a vehicle provided with power means coacting electromagneti cally with the armature rails for suspending the car in floating position between and in spaced relation horizontally to both of the active faces of the rails, thereby tending to resist lateral swinging of the car.

11. In an'electric railway, the combination of a pair of fixed armature rails extending continuously along opposite sides of the right of way, a vehicle provided with power means coacting electromagnetically with the armature rails for suspending the car in floating position between and in spaced relation to both of the rails and physical means for limiting lateral movement of the car relative to-said armature rails. v

12. In an electric railway system, the combination of a pair of armature rails extending continuously on opposite sides of the right of way, a car positioned between the rails and provided with means coacting with the rails at opposite sides thereof to create electromagnetic fields of force for suspending the car electromagnetically between the rails. both of said fields acting on the car and tending to draw the same upwardly and outwardly thereby tending to hold the same balanced between the rails and normally free of physical contact therewith and means for propelling the car along the right of wav.

1 3. In an electric railway system, the combination of a pair of armature rails extending continuously on opposite sides of the right of way, a car positioned between the rails and provided with means coacting with the rails at opposite sides thereof to create electromagnetic fields of force for suspending the car electromagnetically between the rails, both of said fields acting on the car and tending to draw the same upwardly and outwardly thereby tending to hold the same balanced between the rails and normally free of physical contact therewith, means for propelling thecar along the right of way and spacing elements on each side of the car for insuring the maintenance of a small vertical air-gap between each rail and the adjacent end of said field of force creating means when the car swings laterally.

14L. In an electric railway system, the combination of a pair of armature rails extending continuously on opposite, sides of the right of way, a car positioned between the rails and provided with means coacting with the rails at opposite sides thereof to create electromagnetic fields of force for suspending the car electromagnetically between the rails, both of said fields acting on the car and tending to draw the same upwardly and outwardly thereby tending to hold the same balanced between the rails and normally free of physical contact therewith and means for propelling the car along the right of way and rollers on each side of the car facing the adjacent rail and acting to space the field-of-force-creating means from the armature rails.

V 15. In anelectric railway system, the combination of a pair of armature rails extending continuously along opposite sides of the right of way and each provided with an inwardly facing active side, a car magnetically and tend to bring the poles of the magnets horizontally opposite their respective armaturesl 16. In an electric railway system, the combination of a pair ofvarmature rails extend ing continuously alongopposite sides of the right of way and each provided with an inwardly facing activevside, a car provided with electromagnets having their poles nor-' mally disposed below and offset inwardly from each of the active sides of said armature rails whereby when the electromagnets. are energized the field of force created on opposite sides of the car will raise and float the same electromagnetically and tend to bring the poles of the magnets horizontally opposite their respective armatures, said car being free to move vertically under the in fluence of imposed loads from said position with the poles facing the armatures to a lower floating position with the poles offset vertically from their armatures.

17. In a traction system, the combination with a rail armature, extending along the right of way, of a car provided with a truckframe pivotally mounted to said car to moverelative thereto abouta vertical axis to permit the car to "move freely around curves in the right of way and electromagnetically actuated means carried by the truck-frame and coacting with the armature for causing thecar with its truck to move vertically.

18. In a traction system, the combination with a rail armature, extending along the right of way, of a car provided with a trucktrame pivotally mounted to said car to move relative thereto about a vertical axis to permit the car to move freely around curves in the right of way and :electromagnetically ac tua ted means carried by the truck-frame and coacting with the armature for causing the car with its truckto move vertically, and means for maintaining the said truck-carried-electromagneticallyactuated means in spacedrelation .to the armature in all vertical positions of the truck.

19, In a traction system, the combination with a rail armature extending along the right of way, of a car-truck provided with an electroinagnet fixed thereto and with a pole thereof offset horizontally from the armature rail and normally positioned be low the armature rail said electromagnet coacting with the armature to elevate the truck-frame in a direction tending to bring the electromagnetic pole opposite the armature, and a car flexibly connected to the truck to permit the car tohave a limited freedom of movement relative to the arma- 20. In a tractionsystem, the combination with a rail armature extending along the right of way, of a car-truck provided. with an electromagnet fixed thereto and with a pole thereof oflset horizontally from the armature rail and normally positioned below the armature, said electromagnet coact ing with the armature to elevatethe truckframe in a directiontending to bring the electromagnet pole opposite the armature, a car-,and a pivotal connection between the truck and car providing for a relative movement thereof about a vertical axis.

21. In a traction system, a vehicle including a car, a truck pivotally connected thereto for relativewmoveinent about a vertical axis, electromagnetically actuated means carried by the truck and adapted to coact with elements along the right of way for elevating the car and for suspending the same electromagnetically.

right of way to elevate the car and to resist lateral swaying of the car.

:23. In a device of the class described the combination with a vehicle, of two distinct sets of electrically energized power means carried by the vehicle, one of said means constituting mechanism adapted to engage an element along the right of way forpropelling the vehicle in all vertical positions thereof, and the other set adapted to coact with means external'to the vehicle and constituting therewith a means for suspending the car electromagnetically.

- 24. In a device of the class described the combination with a fixed element disposed alongithe right of way, of a vehicle, two distinct sets of electrically energized power means carried by thevehiclepone of said means constituting mechanism engaging said fixedelement for propelling the vehicle in all vertical positions thereof, and the other set adapted to coact with means external to the vehicle and constituting therewith a means forsuspending the canelectromagneticall and means carried by the vehicle for maintaining the part of the said other set which is on the vehicle in physically spaced relationto said external element.

2:). A vehicle provided with an electromagnet with a pole having an exposed vertical faceadapted to coact with an armature external. to the vehicle for holding the vehicle suspended electromagnetically and means harried by the vehicle for maintaining a vertically disposed air gap between said exposed face and the armature. Signed at New York city, in the of New York and. State of New 23rd day of January, A. D. 1920.

county York this RADCLIFFE WARD. 

